Band 5.5 IELTS Writing Task 2 Model Answer
Overall Band Score: 5.5 · Cambridge IELTS 14 · 2026-11-11
IELTS Writing Task 2 question
Some people believe that it is best to accept a bad situation, such as an unsatisfactory job or shortage of money. Others argue that it is better to try and improve such situations.
Discuss both views and give your own opinion.
Student answer (Band 5.5)
No doubt, the people are always concerned about their jobs and shortage of money. Some people believe that it is better to accept your situation and just live the life with very little resources. While others believe that we should continuously search for better opportunities. I personally, think that second view is best in all kind of situations. I explain both views in following passages.
On one hand, people think that just accepting the situation of your job and financial condition is better than struggling to improve your situation. From their point of view, it is better to just stick to a job that is not satisfactory for them But, they don't know that this may have devastating results. For instance, one of my friends who is very narrow minded and don't want to get out from the toxic environment he not only faces financial problems but he always feel very exhausted even after the workday. This approach, can effect the social relations with others.
On the other hand, the people who think that rather than sticking to a bad situation they should continuously struggle to find better opportunities. From my perspective, this approach is best because I think that if we are not satisfied with our job or financial condition we should definitely take the risk to leave that job if we are not satisfied with it at the end of the day. For this approach, I would like to quote a story of my favorite class teacher(Sir Abdullah) who was very compassionate about teaching but, all the time he felt very under pressure because of the toxic behaviour of the principal of the school. As of now, he opened his own academy and he escaped from that unsatisfactory job. So, that is one of the reason why I prefer this approach than first one.
AI examiner evaluation
| Criterion | Band |
|---|---|
| Task Achievement / Task Response | 5.5 |
| Coherence and Cohesion | 5.5 |
| Lexical Resource | 5.5 |
| Grammatical Range and Accuracy | 5.5 |
| Overall | 5.5 |
Task Achievement / Task Response: Band 5.5
You address both views and state a clear preference for trying to improve difficult circumstances: “I personally, think that second view is best.” The examples about your friend and teacher are relevant and help illustrate the consequences of accepting a poor situation and the benefits of change. However, the first view is presented mainly as people “just stick[ing] to a job,” with little explanation of why someone might accept hardship—for example, financial responsibilities, risk, or limited alternatives. Your own position is clear, but the claim that people should “definitely take the risk” is broad and would benefit from acknowledging when change may not be practical. Develop both sides more evenly and explain the reasoning behind each example to make the discussion more complete.
Coherence and Cohesion: Band 5.5
The response has a recognisable structure: an introduction, one paragraph for each view, and a concluding preference within the final paragraph. Signposts such as “On one hand” and “On the other hand” make the discussion easy to follow. However, progression within paragraphs is sometimes weak: the first body paragraph moves from a general claim to a personal example and then to social relations without fully explaining the links. The final paragraph also combines the argument, a long anecdote, and the conclusion, so the ending feels abrupt. Some linking phrases, including “For this approach” and “So, that is one of the reason,” are repetitive or unclear. Use clearer topic sentences and explain how each example supports the point before moving on.
Lexical Resource: Band 5.5
You use enough topic-related vocabulary to communicate the main ideas, including “unsatisfactory job,” “financial condition,” “toxic environment,” and “opportunities.” The examples also show attempts to express consequences and personal motivation. However, the range is limited by repeated general words and phrases such as “situation,” “better,” and “approach.” Some choices are inaccurate or unnatural, including “live the life with very little resources,” “narrow minded” for someone reluctant to leave a job, and “under pressure” in this context. These choices do not prevent understanding, but they make parts of the response less precise. Aim for more natural collocations and vary repeated terms—for example, distinguish between financial hardship, job dissatisfaction, and career prospects.
Grammatical Range and Accuracy: Band 5.5
You attempt both simple and complex sentences, including clauses with “because,” “who,” and “if,” so the response shows some structural variety. The main ideas remain understandable, but errors recur in sentence construction, agreement, articles, and punctuation. Examples include “the people are always concerned,” “one of the reason,” and “he…don't want”; these need more accurate article use, plural forms, and subject–verb agreement. The sentence beginning “For instance, one of my friends…” is difficult to control because several ideas are joined without clear punctuation, while “I personally, think” has an unnecessary comma. Practise checking each sentence for a clear subject and verb, and use full stops to separate ideas when a complex sentence becomes difficult to manage.
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